


shattered things

by sleeponrooftops



Series: raising webhead: a parenting guide, attempted by the science boyfriends [47]
Category: Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-02
Updated: 2013-08-02
Packaged: 2017-12-22 04:03:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/908674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeponrooftops/pseuds/sleeponrooftops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While Peter’s trying to figure out his head, Tony and Bruce are breaking into pieces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	shattered things

Johnny picks him up the next day to go to Flash’s, and he waits until they’ve gotten past his parents, acquired a mass amount of snacks, and then settled in his room on various surfaces before he brings it up.  Johnny’s sprawled in a bean bag, Flash is on his bed, and Peter’s in his computer chair, and, as Flash loads the video game, he says, “I actually need to talk to you guys about something before we start.”

 

“Go for it,” Johnny says, taking a handful of cookies when Flash offers him the pack.

 

Peter takes some, too, and he nibbles on one as he starts talking, “So, I got home late last night, past when my dads told me to, and I thought they were going to be mad, but when I got in, they were both on the sofa, and my dad, uhm—this is stupid, I’m just going to use their first names.  Uh—Tony was, like, half-asleep on top of Bruce, but he looked off, like something had happened, and Bruce was being really quiet and didn’t really care that I was late, which, you know, he usually would.

 

“Anyway, he said everything was fine when I asked if something was up, but I didn’t believe him, so I went into the menagerie and asked Jarvis what was up.  _He_ said that Tony was having nightmares again, and that it was all similar to what had happened after the Chitauri invaded, and, like, I know what happened with that, but I guess it was bad after, too?  So, Jarvis told me that my dad has, uhm—he has PTSD, and that, after the Chitauri were defeated, Tony would have really bad panic attacks and nightmares to the point where he’d call the Mark 42 in his sleep and stuff.  And I guess it was—it was _really_ bad, and he said that he’d experienced similar symptoms the other times Earth has been attacked over the years, but that it hasn’t been this bad in a while, and he and Bruce don’t know why it’s suddenly coming back like this.”

 

“Don’t only soldiers and stuff have PTSD?” Flash asks, frowning.

 

“Technically, Tony’s a soldier,” Johnny says, “They all are, the Avengers, and my sister and Reed, the X-Men, you name it.  They’re heroes.  They’ve saved us so many times, and they’re like soldiers.  But Earth isn’t being attacked right now, so why would he be having these issues again?”

 

“I don’t know,” Peter says, “But it’s freaking me out, and I don’t know how to help him.”

 

“Hey,” Johnny says, and Peter looks over at him with wide, fearful eyes.  “You okay?” he asks, but it’s not Johnny’s voice he hears, and Peter shakes his head, stumbling off the chair and going over to the window.  “Peter!” Johnny calls, and he still can’t hear his voice, but _his_ voice.

 

Peter clambers out of the window and drops two stories down, and he can hear Johnny and Flash yelling for him, but he shoots a web at the nearest structure and takes off.

 

When he finally stops, it’s because he’s out of breath and choking on his own tears.  He falls onto a rooftop, curls into the fetal position, and lets himself break.  It’s short-lived because he knows he needs to be strong for his next move, and he forces himself to sit, scrubbing his hands over his face, trying to wipe away the evidence of his fear.  He doesn’t know how to help Tony, but he knows he has to, and there’s only one person he knows who will really understand.

 

Peter reaches up a hand to his ear where he’s gotten used to wearing an earphone like his dads do, and he takes a deep breath before saying, “Jarvis.”

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“Do you know who Wade Wilson is?”

 

“Yes, sir.  I regret to inform you that I did not follow through on your previous decision to delete him from the database.”

 

“Good.  Call him.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

The phone rings and rings and rings until Peter feels like screaming, and, when he gets Wade’s voicemail, he wants nothing more than to tell him how much he hates him for leaving, but then the beep sounds, and Peter can’t control what he actually says, “ _Wade_.”  It’s broken and shattered, and Peter’s so close to the edge of breaking again that he sucks in a breath and forces his next words out, “I need you.  I don’t—I don’t know what to do.  Something’s happening with Tony, and I can’t help him, and Bruce won’t tell me what’s going on, so I asked Jarvis, and I don’t know how to fix this, and Johnny’s not helping because everytime he tries to make something better, he sounds like you, and—” Peter cuts himself off, slapping a hand over his mouth, unbelieving that he actually said that out loud.  The seconds tick by before Peter manages to speak again, “I can’t do any of this alone, but you—you’re not even going to care when you get this because you left, Wade, _you_ did, and I know Uncle Logan did, too, cos he’s trying to find you.  You left me to deal with everything on my own, and you were supposed to be my best friend, you can’t just _do_ that to me.  I’ve needed you so many times, and you weren’t there, and I—I never should have—Jarvis.”

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“Delete this, and don’t not listen to me this time, I’m serious.  _Delete this_.”

 

“It will appear as though you never called him, sir.”

 

“Call Johnny.”

 

He jumps from the rooftop, swinging his way through the city, and Johnny picks up on the second ring, “Dude, what the hell?”

 

“I know, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I freaked out, I—”

 

“I do,” Johnny cuts him off, and he isn’t angry or sad, just understanding, and that hurts the most.  “It was what I said, wasn’t it?” he continues, “It reminded you of Wade.  It doesn’t even matter that he’s gone, he’s still here.  I always remind you of him, and, you know what, do you even realize why that is?  Do you understand why Wade and I mean the same thing to you?”

 

“Yes,” Peter says quietly, trying desperately to focus on where he’s going.

 

“Good, because I’m sick of coming in second to _everyone_ cos I should be there with you, right now, helping you, trying to figure this out with you.  You’re my best friend, Peter, and I—fuck, I love you, you idiot, so come back here and we’ll think of something.

 

“Johnny,” he mumbles as he lands on the sidewalk outside the Tower.

 

“I know.  Just come—”

 

“No, my Uncle Steve is here.  Something’s wrong.”

**Author's Note:**

> DUN DUN DUH.


End file.
